Digimon Adventure : Retribution
by Aiden Crossfire
Summary: 6 months after the defeat of MaloMyotismon, the Digidestined are now faced with another problem as Digimon all over are escaping the Digital World and attacking the Real World. This puts a strain on Matt's and Sora's relationship as they try to work things out while fighting rogue Digimon. The struggle continues over fighting Digimon and finding true love. Rated T for mild language
1. Chapter 1

The first day of summer was a marvelous day for the citizens and children living in Odaiba. The sun was slowly dipping behind the Fuji Television Station, casting and creating a beautiful sunset, and a warm breeze from the water front casually graced whoever met in its way. Couples and groups of people alike lingered around the edge of the bay, laughing and talking with their feet dipped in the cool water. Everyone had to agree – the weather was a perfect start to vacation season.

Matt Ishida was sitting on a park bench by himself when his girlfriend found him. The blonde haired young man was strumming on his acoustic guitar, playing a sweet melody that just added to the perfect mood of relaxation and care free bliss. With each strum, he brought a new feeling of freedom to each of the people around him, and each of the girls threw him a longing glance. Matt remained sitting with his eyes closed, picking at each string and creating his music.

As the red headed girl approached, Sora Takenouchi smiled at her boyfriend, taking in this perfect post card scene. Normally, Matt wasn't the type of guy to try to serenade his girl, but today had been special, and she didn't mind.

As she sat down next to him, Matt opened his eyes, and his blue eyes met her reddish brown eyes. He smiled and kept playing and started to murmur softly, staring at Sora.

Matt finished playing and placed the guitar down and wrapped his arm around Sora. He grinned at her and said, "I hope you liked that. I've been practicing for a long time."

"It was beautiful! Thank you for that, it was so sweet," Sora replied as she leaned and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.

He returned the kiss and said, "You smell good. What have you been up to today? Baking more with Mimi?"

Sora giggled and answered, "Yeah, she invited me, Yolei, and Kari over for a bit of girl's time. She taught us how to make great brownies and vanilla treats. And get this!" Sora said with wide eyes. Matt cocked his head to the side and raised his eye brow. "Mimi actually got her hands dirty and didn't care!" Sora continued, laughing.

Matt chuckled and replied, "No way! Mimi got dirty and didn't even complain?! The world must be ending!"

As he and Sora laughed, there was rapid beeping, and they immediately stopped and pulled out their own silver devices. Sora's remained quiet, but Matt's Digivice continually beeped.

He gave her an apologetic look and said, "Looks like I have to go. Gabumon needs me!"

The smile from Sora's face dropped and she replied, "Sure, okay."

Matt reached for her hand as he stood up and asked, "Why don't you come with me? You and Biyomon could help us!"

Sora looked away and said, "No, it's okay. I've got to get back to the house anyway. Mom is expecting me home."

As Sora stood up from the bench, she glanced back at Matt and gave him a small smile. "Just kick butt, okay?" She said, almost in a whisper.

"Will do. Are you sure you will be okay?" Matt asked with a frown as he put his guitar in the case.

"Yeah, just go! Gabumon needs you!"

Matt took one last look at his girlfriend and nodded his head and ran in the opposite direction, following the map on his Digivice.

Sora sighed as she watched her boyfriend take off towards his Digimon partner. For once, she just wanted a quiet moment with Matt where neither of them had to take care of business like this. It seems this moment is always so rare.

She sat herself back down on the bench_. _It's been nothing but trouble since last Christmas when they defeated MaloMyotismon in the Digital World. It seemed like everything had gone back to normal, but just recently, more Digimon had been escaping through different portals throughout the city, and the citizens were still having trouble adjusting to the monsters. The Digidestined still had to hide their partners when traveling in public.

There had been new Digidestined to take the job now, but for some reason, their Digimon couldn't leave the Digital World. The only ones that could are the original Digidestined as well as Davis Motomiyo, Yolei Inoue, Cody Hida, and Ken Ichijouji. Genai had come up with a couple of theories, but none make total sense. So now, it was up to them to take care of it. That meant no more private time with their significant other.

Sora rose from the bench and took one last glance around before heading down the road to her home. One of these days, she would get Matt alone. One of these days….

**~oOo~**

As Matt bolted down the streets of Odaiba, heading to his Digimon partner, he began to beat himself up in his head. Dammit! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! The one chance he had with Sora, he blew it because of this stupid emergency. The couple hadn't had a true date in a long time, since the appearance of evil Digimon had taken up all their time. A few times, he tried to invite Sora and her partner Digimon along, but she wouldn't have anything to do with them unless Biyomon was the one in danger. Matt didn't get it.

As he turned the street corner, a blue and white creature streaked beside him, and Matt threw himself onto Garurumon. The wolf Digimon howled happily and then sprinted down the street.

"Garurumon, what's going on?" Matt shouted, tightening his grip around his partner's neck.

"Two Apemon had appeared climbing around buildings like this place is their own personal jungle gym! Tai is already on the scene with Greymon and T.K. and Pegasusmon, but they need help containing them. Greymon has already caused enough damage." His partner growled as he turned the corner again.

Up ahead, a giant T-Rex like Digimon and a flying horse gathered around the bottom of the building, and they looked annoyed. Two other boys were next to them with fists clenched, and the boy with big brown hair was shouting loudly. The other boy, a smaller blonde boy, nodded his head in agreement to whatever the brunette was saying.

As Garurumon came to a halt, Matt hopped off and jogged to his best friend and his little brother. "Guys, what's going on?" He asked as Garurumon bounded over to his allies.

Tai Kamiya, a tall teenage boy with huge brown spiky hair and tan skin, looked at Matt and said, "About time you got here!" He pointed up to the buildings and continued, "There are two Apemon swinging up there from building to building, and we don't have enough speed to catch them! We need you and Garurumon to get up there and try to round them up so we can send them back."

His little brother, T.K., climbed onto his Digimon, Pegasusmon, and added, "I'm going to try and round them up in the air for you."

"Be safe, little brother," Matt said as T.K. took off into the air.

Pegasusmon circled the building once before calling down to Garurumon, "I have them cornered! It's up to you, friend!"

Matt got back on Garurumon and they bounded together towards the building. The Digimon used his super speed to scale the building to where Pegasusmon had the two Apemon trapped on the rooftop. As Garurumon reached the top, the two Digimon were snickering to each other. They were tall monkey-like Digimon with yellow fur and gleaming red eyes and sharp teeth.

Matt glared at the two Digimon and called, "Hey, banana brains!"

The Apemon looked at him and one bared it's fangs. Garurumon let out a fierce growl and said, "Bring it, Monkey Boy!"

The one Apemon let out a screech, and Matt covered his ears in pain. Garurumon growled in discomfort and took a few steps away. As Matt looked up, Apemon was looming above them, holding a bone club.

It gave them a toothy grin and swung the bone, yelling, "Mega Bone Stick!" and bringing its attack down onto Garurumon's head.

Garurumon responded quickly and snapped the bone up in his mouth. Apemon gave a surprise look as the wolf Digimon swung the bone and monkey into the air and tossed it over the ledge. Matt could hear the monkey Digimon screech and Greymon roar as he caught his new prey.

'_One down, one more to go," _Matt thought as he looked over at the other Apemon. The Digimon sneered and growled, "You will never catch me!"

"T.K.!" Matt called. "Make sure Tai has that Apemon bound! I'll get this one!"

His younger brother gave a nod, and Pegasusmon took a dive down to the street as Garurumon jumped onto the next roof.

Apemon swung from building to building effortlessly as the wolf Digimon gave everything he had to keep up.

As it scampered down the building and on to another, Garurumon gave into the full out chase. The two Digimon vaulted from building to building and Matt tried to keep an eye on the monkey, but it was too fast.

"You've got him, Garurumon! Keep it up!" He called to his partner as the Digimon panted.

Suddenly, as the Apemon disappeared behind a building, it let out a terrible screech and Garurumon stopped in his tracks. The screech was followed by barking and snapping, like something was tearing away at fabric or meat.

"What is going on over there?" Garurumon asked to his partner.

Apemon screamed, "Get away from me, you foul beast!" and Matt and Garurumon looked towards the shouting, bewildered.

The yellow Digimon suddenly came into view and it was heavily wounded. Apemon had a stunned look on it's face as it stumbled away from the hiding spot. As it whimpered, it fell to the roof and Garurumon dashed over.

The wolf stopped into front of the injured Digimon and it looked at him with pained, red eyes.

"Apemon, what just happened?!" Matt asked.

The monkey whimpered one last time and responded, "The Big Bad Wolf… It's real. Beware!"

Suddenly, it disintegrated and was no more.

"Big Bad Wolf? What does that mean?" Matt asked his partner as he hopped off his partner and went to investigate.

"Matt, be careful!" Garurumon shouted as he walked with his partner. As they glanced around the corner to where Apemon got attacked, they found nothing.

"That's weird… What attacked Apemon?" Matt mumbled as he climbed back on his partner.

Garurumon growled and said, "Well, whoever it is, they've got a way of taking out Digimon."

Matt agreed and replied, "Let's get going back to Tai. He's probably wandering where we went. Come on, bud."

As Garurumon launched himself into the air, Matt glanced back to where Apemon disintegrated. Whatever attacked the monkey Digimon was going to be a tough foe, but that was a mystery for another day.


	2. Chapter 2

**[Author's Note] Hello everyone, Aiden here! Thanks for the support and everything you do(: I started a new story after having a crazy dream one night. It inspired me to write some more! I'll try my best to touch up on my other stories as well. Thanks for taking time to read this! You rock!**

**I do not own Digimon, just my own characters.**

Chapter 2

The streets were dark as Matt and Gabumon walked home after their battle with the two Apemon. Everyone had turned in for the night after being outside all day and Matt was enjoying quality time walking with his Digimon partner without having to disguise him. Gabumon was just as happy as he walked with a smile on his face.

Matt grinned at his friend as he thought about all that happened today. After they rejoined the group, Tai and T.K. had already sent the first Apemon back to the Digital World. Matt explained what happened to the second one, and Tai grew uneasy.

"That's not a good thing, Matt. You didn't get a good glimpse at what attacked it?" Tai had asked as Agumon stood next to his partner.

Matt shook his head and answered, "No, we didn't see anyone. After Apemon disappeared, we looked where it was attacked, but nothing was there."

T.K. frowned and said, "That makes no sense. We'll just have to keep a lookout for it, whatever it is. I'll let everyone know what happened."

With that, they all departed for home. Tai walked with T.K. to his apartment since Kari was at Yolei's apartment. He wanted to walk home with his little sister, while Matt and Gabumon headed in the opposite direction.

"So, Matt, did you enjoy your time with Sora this afternoon?" Gabumon inquired as they continued on their way.

Matt shook his head and replied, "Not really. It was cut short because of the attack."

Gabumon said, "Oh no! I am terribly sorry, my friend! This is all my fault."

Matt put his hands in his pocket and shook his head. "Gabumon, it's not your fault. Those Apemon had bad timing. Besides, if we didn't show up, who knows what would have happened."

Gabumon nodded his head and replied, "I guess you're right. So, how did Sora take it this time?"

The blonde boy sighed. "You're just full of questions, aren't you?"

The Digimon chuckled. "I'm just curious!"

As Matt laughed with his Digimon, he thought about his girlfriend and how much these attacks were taking their toll on their relationship. They haven't had a proper date in a long time, and he knew Sora resented it. He did his best to make her happy, but his times were always cut short due to recent attacks. Sure, there were others to take part in defending the city, but most of the attacks happened in their neck of the woods, and Matt and Gabumon always happened to be close by.

All he wanted was some quiet time with Sora, was that too much to ask for? The beginning of their relationship had been beautiful. No interruptions, just Matt and Sora time. Then the Digimon returned, and when the problem became too big for the newer Digidestined, Matt and Sora had to retake their place on the team and help fight, and they haven't stopped fighting since.

Matt missed his girlfriend, and it was painful to see her in distress and strained to her max. It was like he almost did not know her anymore. She wasn't the same carefree spirit and Child of Love that she once was.

"Matt, are you okay? Did I upset you?" Gabumon asked in a worried tone as the two neared Matt's apartment complex.

Matt snapped back to reality and look at his Digimon's worried expression. He gave Gabumon a smile and replied, "I'm all right. I just was lost in thought. Everything will be okay, Gabumon. Trust me, you didn't do anything wrong."

Gabumon let out a sigh of relief and smiled happily at Matt, saying, "I'm glad."

Suddenly, Gabumon looked up quickly and he let loose a low growl from his throat as he stopped abruptly. The Digimon's eyes narrowed as he looked towards the apartment complex door, which was only about 20 yards away.

Matt gave a quizzical look at his partner and asked, "Gabumon, what's wrong?"

"There's a Digimon somewhere close by," His partner growled out.

Matt looked towards the door and tried to stare into the darkness around the door. "There's nothing there –" He started to say, but then he saw it.

Skulking out of the darkness was the shadow of a beast. It seemed large and walked on all fours. Matt couldn't tell about its shape. There was too much darkness around it. The Digimon made its way towards the open door of the complex and slipped through. As it walked into the hallway, it stopped and slowly turned around. Matt could see glowing red eyes looking right at them.

The Digimon froze as its gaze held with Matt's. Gabumon remained still as the creature opened it's mouth to reveal pointy white teeth. It turned away, and bolted down the hallway, heading towards the stairs.

"Gabumon, come on!" Matt cried as he took off after the shadow. As they pushed through the door, the team followed the monster up the flight of stairs, Gabumon having trouble keeping up.

As Matt and Gabumon rounded to the top of the 5th floor, the floor where Matt and his father live, he saw the shadow slip through and head towards the apartments on the floor.

Matt grinned and thought, _'It can't escape now! There's no way to go!'_

He rounded the corner and found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

Gabumon came crashing around the corner, panting, "Why couldn't we have taken the elevator? That was too much of a workout!"

Matt put his finger to his lip and whispered, "Be quiet! It could still be here!"

As Matt made his way down the hallway, he looked carefully all around. Nothing was out of place, and there wasn't much of a shadow. Where could this creature be hiding?

Gabumon walked beside Matt and gave a little surprised shout. "Matt, look! The empty apartment is open!"

Matt looked towards the end of the hallway and gasped. "You're right!"

The apartment had been empty for months. It was the last room at the other end of the hall and next door to Matt's and his dad's place. The old owners had moved out when all the Digimon attacks had happened. The elderly couple couldn't take it anymore and moved away without hesitation. The place had been vacant since, until now.

Matt and Gabumon approached the apartment with caution. "Gabumon, let's go see what's inside," Matt said in a whisper.

Just as they passed Matt's apartment, the door the empty apartment flew open. Matt jumped and his hand flew to the door handle of his door and opened it quickly, pushing Gabumon inside. A girl about his age walked out, looking at Matt with curiosity.

As Matt slammed the door, the girl gave him a smile and said, "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

He gave a nervous laugh and replied, "Just a bit. I didn't realize anyone had moved in next door. That apartment has been empty for a long time." He eyed the girl curiously. She had long dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her skin looked tan in the dim light of the hallway. She was dressed in a black t shirt and a pair of light washed skinny blue jeans.

"Oh! Well, now it's no longer empty. My family just moved in. I'm Noemi Landon!" She said as she extended her hand.

Matt took it and they shook hands as he said, "Nice to meet you, Noemi. I'm Matt Ishida. My father and I live next door."

"NOEMI!" A loud cry came from her apartment as a small boy about the age of six ran out and hugged his sister's leg. He had the same dark brown hair, but his eyes were bright blue.

"What, Jacob?" She asked sweetly as she patted his head.

The boy looked at Matt before hiding his face in Noemi's jeans, muffling his voice. "Ican'tfindmystuffedbearandI'mscaredandwhoisthis?" Matt could barely make out what the boy had said.

Noemi giggled as she picked up her little brother, who still hid his face. "I haven't gotten to that box yet! And Jacob, this is Matt. He's our next door neighbor."

Matt smiled and said, "Hey, little man!"

Jacob looked at the blonde haired boy and his eyes grew big. "Is that a guitar?!" The little boy said excitedly, pointing to the guitar case hanging from Matt's back.

Matt gave a surprise look at his case. He had totally forgotten he had this with him. No wonder he was so tired from running up the steps.

He smiled at the boy and said, "Yeah, it is. Do you like to play?"

Jacob grinned and replied, "I'm just learning! My father promised to teach me next time we get to visit!"

Matt blinked, "Next visit?"

Noemi smiled sadly at her little brother as she placed him down. Jacob wrapped his arm around her leg, but now he gazed at Matt with awe.

"Our parents are divorced. We only get to see our dad every once in a while," Noemi said quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Matt said. "My parents are divorced, too. I have a little brother named T.K., and he lives with our mother."

Jacob piped in, "And Sissy here plays the piano at Dad's house! She and Dad play songs together, and it's like a party!" He let out a great big yawn and rubbed his eyes.

Noemi giggled and said, "Come on, Tiger. You can talk to Matt later. Right now, you've got to get to bed."

She looked at Matt and smiled again, saying, "It was nice to meet you, Matt. Sorry about scaring you earlier!"

Matt laughed and said, "It's no problem at all!" He leaned down and looked at Jacob and said, "If you ever want extra guitar lessons, dude, I'll be more than happy to teach you."

Jacob gave Matt a huge grin and cried, "That would be awesome!"

As Noemi walked her brother into the apartment, she looked at Matt and said, "Thanks, Matt."

As she shut the door, Matt ran his hand through his long blonde hair and mumbled, "No problem."

He entered his own apartment to find his father and Gabumon sitting at the dinner table. Hiroaki had set the table and a box of pizza with only 2 slices left was sitting in the middle of the table.

As Matt sat down, Hiroaki looked his eldest son and asked, "Where have you been? It was kind of weird when Gabumon comes strolling in without you. Plus, he's eaten most of the pizza."

Matt sighed and replied, "It just been a busy day, that's all." As he took a bite of his pizza and swallowed, he asked, "Did you know people moved in next store?"

His dad put his drink down and nodded his head. "Yeah, they seem like nice people. The woman's name is Miaka Toyama, and she has two kids, Noemi and Jacob. Oh, and a huge dog."

"I just met Noemi and Jacob. They seem really nice. Well, nicer than the last neighbors we had." Matt finished the rest of the pizza and took his plate to the overflowing sink. He and Hiroaki tried to keep everything tidy, but they always seem to fall behind every now and then.

As Matt started on the dishes, his father helped by clearing off the table and by putting dishes in the dishwasher. Gabumon jumped off his chair and asked, "So, that's why you pushed me inside so quickly, Matt?"

"Yeah, Noemi was walking out into the hallway, and I didn't want her to freak out when she saw you," Matt replied as he wiped another dish clean, handing it to his father.

Hiroaki smirked and said, "That's the last thing we need – scaring the new neighbors away by showing them a real life monster living next door."

"Hey, I'm not that scary! I find myself adorable!"

Matt smiled at his partner as he wiped the last dish clean. He walked over and said, "You keep telling yourself that!"

As he walked over to his guitar case, he picked up his instrument and glanced at his dad and his partner. "I'm going on the balcony to play for a bit."

He settled himself on the lawn chair that faced towards the lit up city and began to tune and pick at his guitar. As he found the perfect tune, he began to strum and softly sang to himself, while thinking of Sora. He was going to make things right with her, no matter what.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Chapter 3 is on its way(: Review, please! I want some feedback on my writing. I am really excited for this story and I want to write the best I can! Thanks guys! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**[Author's Note] Hello, everyone! I hope you're all finishing up with finals and enjoying your Christmas break! I just got back from vacation, so now time to post Chapter threeee :D! Oh, and Merry Christmas!**

**Special shoutout to Aveza for first review! (:**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon in any way or form, just my own characters.**

Chapter 3

Tai Kamiya had planned to sleep in every day during his summer break. All year, he had gotten up on time almost every morning and got to school and other activities on time. Every day, he sacrificed his precious sleep time just to break his bad streak of being tardy to everything. Kari didn't have to wake him up five minutes before having to leave. So he deserved a break, right?

It was 10 AM in the morning, and the tall brunette was still in his bed. Tai was curled in a ball with his sheets kicked back over his top bunk while Agumon snored slightly next to his partner. Kari and her partner Gatomon had already gotten up for the day and were spending their time with T.K. and Patamon. Outside their room, Mrs. Kamiya had begun to vacuum, but the noise would not wake the heavy sleepers.

_*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*_

_*BZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*_

Tai's cell phone lit up and vibrated, the tune beginning to play. The teenager groaned and rolled over, away from the disturbance.

As the phone continued to buzz, Tai blindly reached for his phone, thinking,_ 'Who the hell is calling me at this hour?'_

Without looking at the caller I.D., Tai flipped open his phone and rolled onto his back, mumbling, "Hello?"

"Tai?" A girl's voice on the other end said.

Tai flew into a sitting position and asked, "Sora?! Hey, what's up?"

Sora giggled and said, "I'm sorry if I woke you up! I thought you of all people would be awake!"

Tai rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his wild bed head hairstyle. "Don't worry about it. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, well, no. I need to talk to you about something. Would you mind meeting me at the coffee shop in a few?" Sora asked, her voice sounding strained.

Tai climbed over Agumon and down the ladder, he replied, "Sure, I'll be there in about 15 minutes. What do you need to talk about?"

He opened his dresser and pulled out a pair of black soccer shorts and a blue T-shirt, Sora answered, "It's about Matt. I'll explain more when you get here. See you in a bit!"

As Tai hung up his phone, he sighed and carried his clothes into the bathroom to shower. He loved his best friends to death, and he wished the best for them, but sometimes, their drama was the least of his worries. It felt like their problems only piled higher and nothing got solved.

Tai felt bad for thinking that way. In the beginning, he remembered the feelings he had when he fell hard for Sora, only to find she fell for Matt instead. Tai had to fake being happy for his best friends, only deep down, he wished they would break up already so he could have his chance. He wanted Sora to look at him the way she looked at Matt.

He shook his head in the shower, water splashing against the curtain. That was in the past. He didn't want to hurt either of his friends. He just had to man up and accept that everyone has their own path to follow, and he will soon find his that will lead to someone great. Besides, wasn't he over Sora anyway? That's what he told himself every day, and he will keep telling himself until it was true.

Tai returned to his room to find a sleepy orange dinosaur looking at him from the top bunk, rubbing his eyes. As Tai dumped his dirty laundry into the basket, Agumon asked, "Where are you going, Tai? It's too early to be up and about!"

Tai laughed at his partner and replied, "You can sleep a little longer, dude. Sora wants to meet up, and then after, Matt and I are going to investigate his apartment. Apparently, there has been a Digimon lurking around."

"Lurking Digimon?" Agumon asked. "I want to be a part of that!"

Tai shook his head. "Maybe another time, Agumon. We're going to be looking in board daylight, and we don't need people freaking out."

Agumon yawned and replied, "Fine. But I can't sleep all day!"

"Enjoy it while it lasts, bud! I'll see you later. Keep hidden from Mom, will you?" Tai asked as he shut his door behind him while Agumon snuggled with the covers, returning to sleep.

About 15 minutes later, he arrived at the little coffee store. It was a locally owned café run by an elderly man and his daughter. The café, called Java Jolt, had cheap, but delicious hot and cold drinks, and the man, Mr. Jon, loved all his costumers dearly.

Tai found Sora sitting at their usual table near the window. She had a porcelain cup in front of her, and she grinned as her best friend sat down.

"Hey, Tai! About time you got here," She said with a smile as she took a sip of her coffee.

Tai laughed and said, "Yeah, well, normally, I sleep in during the break, since I was on time almost every day for school! I deserve a break for once."

Sora giggled and replied, "I guess I'll cut you some slack just this once."

As she put her cup on the table, she looked outside and her smile began to disappear. Tai frowned and asked, "So, what's wrong with you and Matt? He's treating you right and everything, right?"

Sora snapped back to attention and replied, "Oh, yes! He is great and all! It's just…" She grew quiet and gazed into her lap.

"But what?" Tai asked.

Sora sighed and answered, "It's just, with all these Digimon appearing, I never get to spend quality time with Matt. Every night we try to go out, his Digivice starts going crazy, and then our date is over! He doesn't even try to make anything up. It's always, 'There will be other times!' I'm just getting sick of it."

Tai sat back in his seat and asked, "Have you asked him about it?"

"No, but I don't want to offend him, either. I know it's our job as Digidestined to protect the Real World from the Digimon, but it should never be something that gets in the way of someone's relationship. It's just frustrating," She said.

As Sora stared at Tai intently, he thought to himself, _'This could be your chance! Tell her he isn't worth it and she deserves better! And when they break up, BAM! Take the opportunity and steal the girl!_' He could see her being happy with him.

Tai shook his head. _'Snap out of it,'_ said another voice, the voice of reason. _'You'll just be in the same boat. Instead of Matt leaving her to fight Digimon, it would be you, and that's what she is trying to avoid!_' So instead of saying what he wanted, Tai said the other first thing that came to his head.

"Sora, all you and Matt need is a quiet time together! Why don't you guys go on a date tonight and I'll keep his Digivice with me? That way, you guys aren't disturbed, and you can enjoy a nice and peaceful evening with your man!" Tai exclaimed, grinning at his idea.

Sora shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It's a great plan, Tai, but do you think he would go for it?"

"Of course he would! He loves you!" Tai exclaimed.

Sora turned a little pink and said, "I just think it may be a little awkward." Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "I know! How about we do a double date?" Excitement filled her voice as she beamed at Tai.

Tai smiled back her and said, "That's a great idea! But Mimi and Joe might have plans."

Sora giggled and said, "I didn't mean them! Why don't you come along?"

"Great idea, but there's only one problem! I don't think Matt would like if I just tagged along as a third wheel," Tai replied.

"Oh, I'm sure you could find someone to come along with us! Please, Tai? It would be so much helpful. I'm scared it will turn out quiet and awkward, and if others are there, it wouldn't be so bad!" Sora said as she finished her coffee.

Tai stared into Sora's pleading eyes and sighed. It wouldn't hurt. "Sure, why not?"

Sora squealed and jumped up and hugged her best friend. "Thank you, Tai! You're the greatest!"

As Tai hugged her back, he awkwardly laughed and replied, "No problem! Any time, Sora!"

They left the coffee shop, and Sora waved to Tai and said, "We'll meet at the seafood restaurant dock around 6, is that okay? I'll call Matt right now!"

Tai waved to her and said, "Sounds good! See you then!"

The Child of Courage walked down the street towards Matt's apartment, lost in thought. What the hell just happened? He just allowed himself to be suckered in to a date with a couple that had their own problems, and he himself didn't know anyone he could invite.

As he neared Matt's apartment complex, which was across from his own, he saw his best friend leaning against the outside. Matt was dressed in black v-cut t-shirt and charcoal gray shorts. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses on his face, and he looked frustrated.

Matt smiled at his best friend and said, "About time you got here."

Tai shoved him playfully and replied, "I'm here, all right? Now, are we going to start looking or what?"

As Matt led him around to where he and Gabumon saw the Digimon, he explained everything best he could. Tai nodded his head in understanding, but they couldn't find any clues.

Matt frowned. "That's strange. You think there would be prints or something. But there's nothing."

Tai shrugged his shoulders and said, "It probably levitated or something. Or you're just going crazy."

As the boys retreated into the apartment complex and entered the elevator, Matt turned to Tai and asked, "So what's this I hear about Sora wanting to go on a double date and you bringing someone?

Tai let out a nervous laugh and said, "Oh yeah, that. Yeah, she thought it would be a fun thing to do during the break. I just don't know who to bring."

Matt let out a sly grin and said, "You could ask Yolei. Or I've heard Jun is free for, like, forever!"

Tai punched Matt in the arm, and as the elevator door opened to the 5th floor, he said, "Go to hell, bitch."

As they walked into the hallway laughing, Tai looked up and down the hall. At the far end, outside the apartment that was empty, stood a girl. She was leaning over the balcony and talking on her cell phone, her long brown hair covering her face. She wore a loose white baseball tee with navy blue sleeves and a pair of light denim jeans and no shoes on.

She leaned back and ran her free hand over her hair, pushing it back, as she said, "Love you too, Dad. I'll have Jacob call you tonight before he goes to bed. Bye."

As she ended the call, Matt raised his hand and waved, saying, "Hey, Noemi!"

She looked at the boys and smiled big, replying, "Hi, Matt! How's it going?"

The boys walked over to her and Matt answered, "Just hanging with my friend. Noemi, this is Tai."

Tai looked from Matt to Noemi and she smiled. Brown eyes met each other and Tai could feel his face flush. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, but this girl was pretty.

She extended her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Tai."

As Tai shook her hand, Matt explained, "Noemi and her family just moved in the other day."

Tai grinned and said, "Nice to meet you, too."

Noemi giggled and smiled at both boys. "Would you guys like to come inside? I was about to go back inside and make Jacob's lunch, if you want to join."

"Sure! That sounds great!" Tai said before Matt could say anything.

Noemi beamed and answered, "All right! Come on in!"

As they entered the apartment, Noemi led them through a maze made of boxes. She stopped in the living room and as the boys settled on the couch, she said, "Please excuse the mess. We're still going through everything."

Matt shook his head and said, "It's not a problem at all. Do you need help with anything?"

"No, it's all right. I'll go get Jacob and then I came make something to eat," She answered as she went around the boxes and into a small hallway leading to the bedrooms.

Matt turned to Tai and asked, "Why did you want to come in here? We've got other stuff to take care of! Like finding you a date!"

"Don't worry, dude! I got this! I'll just ask Noemi!" Tai replied, leaning back and stretching his back.

Matt blinked and asked, "What? Dude, you just met her! That's crazy!"

Before Tai could answer, a dark shadow moved in the corner of the room and Matt jumped to his feet. Tai did the same, reaching for his Digivice and wishing Agumon was here. The shadow moved out from behind the boxes and Tai held his breath.

A large black dog emerged and glared at the boys with cold gray eyes. It was the size of a small wolf, and a red collar hung around its neck. As Tai exhaled, the dog looked at him and bared its teeth, letting out a small growl.

"Ea-easy, boy," Matt said.

The dog took a few steps towards them, growling, and Tai slowly moved away without any sudden movements.

"Rex!" Noemi yelled as she walked back into the room with a sleepy child in her arms.

The dog looked at her and back to the boys. It sat down, never taking its eyes off of Tai.

Noemi sighed and said, "Sorry about him. Rex isn't used to guests around. He's very protective of our family, especially Jacob here." She set Jacob down in a chair and began to open cabinets.

Rex trotted over and laid down, curling himself around Jacob's chair. The little boy yawned and said, "Noemi, could I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

As Noemi made her brother his lunch, Tai and Matt rose up from the couch. Rex kept his eye on Tai, and the Child of Courage felt uncomfortable.

"Well, thanks for inviting us in, Noemi, but we really need to go," Matt said as he and Tai inched towards the door.

As she put a plate in front of her brother, Noemi asked, "You sure you don't want anything?"

Matt smiled and said, "We're sure. But thank you, though! Maybe another time."

Noemi smiled and nodded her head and said, "Sure, that sounds good to me." She looked at Tai. "It was nice to meet you, Tai."

Tai grinned at her and said, "It was nice to meet you too, Noemi. Hey, if you're free tonight, Matt, his girlfriend and I are hanging out. I would love if you came, too."

Immediately, Tai regretted his decision to ask her. As soon as the question came out, Noemi's face changed to embarrassment and Tai was sure she would say no.

'_That's just great. It just turned out to be another ruined, embarrassing moment where she's going to think I'm a creeper or something. Smooth move, Kamiya. Just simply smooth,' _ Tai thought to himself as Noemi remained standing still with an expression Tai could not read.

A smile jumped to Noemi's lips and said, "Sure, that would be fun!"

Tai's heart began to race in his chest. She actually said yes.

Tai winked at her in response and said, "Great! I'll pick you up at 5:30. See you then!"

Noemi grinned and replied, "Okay! See you guys then!"

As Tai shut the door, Matt gave his best friend a grin and said, "Well done, Tai! You successfully asked a girl on a date without her laughing in your face and saying no! Or her running in the other direction in fear!"

"Shut up, Matt," Tai said as he shoved his friend into the wall. "At least I found a date that isn't Jun!"

The boys laughed as the entered Matt's apartment. Tai grinned to himself as he and Matt settled down to discuss the evening. He planned on enjoying himself and talking to this girl. If Matt seemed to get along with her easily, Tai shouldn't have a problem.

It would be his first step to get over the girl he once loved. And he felt ready to do so.

**So sorry this chapter was so long! I hope you enjoyed! Merry Christmas!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Matt nervously stood in front of his mirror, trying to style his hair just right for his date with Sora. It was like every time he got it to go right, it would act on it's own and move out of place, and it was driving Matt crazy. Or maybe he was just nervous.

As he sighed with frustration, his little brother T.K. laughed. "Geeze, big bro. The way you're worrying about your hair is sort of terrifying. It's almost like you're a girl!" The younger brother teased.

Matt threw T.K. a look and replied, "Just wait until you start wanting to impress a girl. It's nerve wrecking. They change their minds constantly!"

"You shouldn't have to try to impress Sora," T.K. said as he leaned back in his chair. "You've already won her over and she loves you."

Matt gazed at his younger brother through the mirror and thought, _'Oh, T.K. You'll understand this one of these days.'_

He sighed and turned away from the mirror and began to shift through his clothes. "You never know with women, T.K. They always expect a surprise."

Matt picked up a navy blue plaid shirt and a pair of blue jeans and slipped them on. "Besides, I have to make it up to Sora about bailing on the last couple of dates," He added, checking his hair again.

"But that doesn't make any sense! She should understand about you leaving to fight Digimon! It's what us Digidestined do!" T.K. responded.

Matt slipped on a gray beanie over his messy hair and laughed. "Yeah, well, it is getting annoying." He turned towards his brother. "How does this look?"

"Not going to lie, but it looks gay."

A shoe connected to T.K.'s face and he let out an, "Ow!"

As Matt laughed at his brother, there was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Yeah?" Matt called.

The door opened, and Gabumon walked in and asked, "Almost ready to go, Matt? You mustn't let Sora wait!"

Matt smiled at his partner. He loved Gabumon. His Digimon partner understood him to his core and always remained loyal though the thick and thin. Gabumon was the one who kept him in line, especially when it came with balancing the important things in life. He constantly reminded Matt never to take anything for granted.

"Yeah, I'm about ready to go. Thanks for the heads up, Gabumon," Matt responded as he took off his hat. As he checked out his hair, he said, "That's as good as it's going to get."

He turned to T.K. and unclipped his Digivice off his belt. As he handed it to his brother, Matt said, "Just keep this and Gabumon safe. Don't leave here unless there is a real emergency, got it?"

T.K. grinned and saluted his brother. "You can count on me!"

Patamon fluttered in from the hallway and landed on his partner's head. The orange and white Digimon said, "We'll be alert!"

Matt grinned and said, "Great. I'm trusting you guys."

As Matt put on his black Converse and gathered up his wallet, he said, "There's dinner for you guys in the fridge. I'm counting on you to handle anything. If there is a serious issue like Myotismon is revived or any leads on this 'Big Bad Wolf' Digimon, you can call my cell phone. Other than that, no contact whatsoever! Understand?"

T.K. laughed. "Dear god, Matt! I've never seen you this stressed for a date! Don't worry about us! Just have a good time, all right?"

Matt could feel his face flush. "Sorry, I guess I am a little nervous."

His younger brother patted his shoulder and said, "Dude, you'll be fine. You've been dating her for, like, what? Six months now? It'll be all right! Just do what you did before when you first started dating!" He gave his older brother a shove to the door. "Now, go get her, tiger!"

Matt looked back at his brother, trying not to laugh. "You know what, T.K.? You're all right - for a kid."

T.K. shrugged his shoulders. "I try. Now go!"

As Matt closed his apartment door behind him, he glanced at his watch. It was 5:15. He was to walk to Sora's apartment around the way and pick her up and then they would meet Tai and Noemi at the Hut on the dock for dinner.

He took a deep breath and began to make his way down the hallway, praying for a good night.

**OoOoo **

As soon as he and Sora made it to the restaurant, Matt instantly knew it was going to be an awkward night. They had beat Tai and Noemi there, and the couple had gotten a table near the window. They had a killer view of the bay, and watching the waves sort of relaxed Matt. What was killing him, though, was Sora's silence.

Normally, Sora is very talkative and outgoing whenever they went out. She would be the one to start the conversation and make comments about anything and everything. There would be a cheery smile on her face and her laugh was contagious, he couldn't help but smile and laugh along with her.

But tonight was different. She looked like she would have rather been elsewhere instead of at dinner with him. Matt had ended up wearing the gray beanie, and good thing, too, because otherwise he would have kept running his hand through his hair because of how nervous she made him with her silence.

When he picked her up, he immediately complimented her on her outfit. She wore a red halter top and khaki shorts with a pair of laced up sandals. Her red hair was perfectly straight and she wore little makeup, making her brown eyes sparkle bright. She looked stunning! She smiled at his comment and thanked him, but remained silent. They walked a short distance to the restaurant and barely said anything to each other.

"So, any fun plans for the summer? Don't you have tennis camp next month?" Matt asked, trying to break the silence between them.

Sora stirred her water with her straw and said, "Mhmm, yeah. I know Dad is trying to plan a trip to Hawaii for an escape and he wants me to come along. I might go. It just depends what week tennis camp is."

"That sounds like fun! I heard Hawaii is awesome," Matt replied, dying to keep the conversation going.

"Mhm," was all he got as a reply, and he groaned to himself in frustration. What the hell was going on?

There was loud laughter behind them and Matt glanced over towards the source. Tai and Noemi had just arrived. Tai had his arm wrapped around the girl's shoulder and she was laughing at something he was saying.

Matt raised his hand and said, "Hey, you guys!"

Tai waved at Matt and Sora and said, "Hey! Sorry we're late!"

Tai introduced Noemi to Sora and they sat down. Their server returned and they ordered their food and drinks. As Noemi ordered, Matt looked her over.

She was wearing a white flowing tank top with horizontal brown stripes and light washed denim Capri pants. Her dark brown hair was curly and it cascaded down her back with a few strands in her face. Her eyes were outlined lightly with black eyeliner, and she wore a big smile.

Tai kept his arm around her for a moment before moving it. "So how was your guys day? I hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long."

Sora smiled lightly and said, "We weren't here for too long. But we know you have a habit for being late."

She glanced up at Noemi and asked, "So, Noemi, where are you from?"

Noemi smiled at the redhead and replied, "My family just moved here from Shibuya. It's not far, but there's still a difference! I'm originally from Sacramento, California, though."

"Wow, that's pretty far! What brought you all the way here?" Tai asked.

"My dad works for a record company based in Los Angeles. We used to travel all over the world, wherever they needed him to scout for new bands. We've lived in England, France, Italy, and even Brazil for a bit," She answered.

Sora's face lit up and said, "Wow! I've always wanted to travel and study the different fashions in each country. Being around so many cultures must have been neat!"

Noemi smiled big and said, "Yeah, it totally was!"

Immediately, the girls got lost in talking about each of their favorite styles and clothing. Matt and Tai just nodded their heads in agreements at different parts, and soon enough, their food arrived.

As they began to eat, Noemi looked at Sora and asked, "So, how long have you two been together?"

Sora smiled and leaned against Matt and replied, "Six months!"

Matt wrapped his arm around Sora and kissed her cheek, saying, "And I've never been happier."

Tai made a gagging noise. "Get a room, you two!"

All four of them laughed, and Sora remained close to Matt. He smiled to himself. Now, this felt right to him. Matt felt things are as they should be, with his girl by his side and his friends around him. Nothing could ruin this.

_*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEP!*_

A high pitched beeping noise came from under the table and Matt's heart sank. Someone brought their Digivice with them.

Sora immediately moved away from Matt and glared at him.

"Really, Matt? You couldn't leave it at home?" She asked, her voice sounding dark.

"Sora, I -" He began to say, but was cut off.

"I can't believe you right now! All I wanted was a fun, peaceful time with you, but it's obvious you don't care!" She said, on the verge of tears.

As she stood up from the table, Matt reached for her hand, unable to think. She withdrew from him.

"All you care about is you! It's all about Matt Ishida, and you don't care for anyone else! I don't know how I could have stayed with you this long!" She continued, tears streaming down your face.

Tai stood up and said, "Sora, it's me! It's my fault! It's my beeper going off!"

Sora threw Tai a look and said, "Quit trying to protect him! I know it's his!"

Matt stood up, too, and said, "Quit being ridiculous, Sora! I left mine at home with T.K.! You know this!"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You have excuses for everything, Matt. I can't take it anymore!"

"What is your problem?! One second, you're all right, and then the next, you're psycho! Is there something going on that you need to tell me?" Matt said angrily.

She turned to face him and answered, "Actually, yes, I do have something to tell you. You're a selfish brat who needs to learn respect. We're through!"

With those words, Sora picked up her purse and headed towards the exit.

"Sora, wait!" He cried, about to chase after her. As he moved, an arm appeared in front of him. "Let me go, Tai!"

His best friend scowled and said, "No can do, buddy. You're just going to make things worse."

"What do you know about this?" Matt asked angrily.

Tai shook his head and said, "She's frustrated at you! You barely make time for her, and I notice it, too. Just let her be."

"Bullshit! I always made time for her!"

Tai's eyes narrowed and said, "Look, she doesn't want to talk to you. Why don't you just leave her alone before you make more of an ass of yourself?!"

Tai brought his arm down and added, "Walk Noemi home, will you? I'm going to make sure Sora makes it home safely."

"Don't you go near her. I'll take care of her myself," Matt growled out.

Tai let out a laugh. "Um, newsflash, dude. She just broke up with you! She wants nothing to do with you right now! So get over it! You're going to make it worse!"

And with that, Tai dropped cash onto the table to pay for his and Noemi's meal and left, chasing after Sora.

Matt collapsed in the chair. He could feel everyone's eyes on him in the restaurant and they were weighing him down. Did that really just happen? Did he really just lose Sora, his one true love?

"Matt, you okay?" A voice asked, bringing him back to his senses.

He looked up and his blue eyes met Noemi's brown eyes. She offered him a sad smile.

Matt stood up and threw some cash on the table, enough to pay for his and Sora's meal and a tip. As he stuffed his hands in his pocket, he mumbled, "Let's get out of here."

Noemi didn't say a word but got up too, walking a few steps behind Matt. Now he felt extremely bad. It was her first time out and meeting people, and it was ruined in a moment.

As they stepped out onto the street, the sky rumbled and Matt and Noemi glanced up. Dark clouds had formed, and lightening streaked overhead. Matt wondered if this was a natural cause, or if a Digimon was behind this.

Matt scowled at the thought. It was the Digimon that had ruined this night, just like they always had. Once they find out who has been sending the Digimon to the Real World, Matt was planning on kicking major ass. Enough is enough.

They made their way down the streets of the city, trying to avoid everyone else walking. More thunder rumbled, and a few drops of rain fell. Matt quickened the pace, and soon enough, as the rain began to fall, they had almost made it to the apartment.

Matt held the door open and they slipped inside, both teenagers drenched from head to toe. They climbed into the elevator in silence and headed straight to the 5th floor.

As soon as the door opened and they stepped out, Noemi put her hand on Matt's back and said, "I am so sorry about tonight, Matt."

Matt smiled lightly and said, "Don't be. It's not your fault. If it's anyone's, it's definitely mine. I should have seen this coming."

Noemi looked down at the ground and said, "I still don't see what went wrong."

"Apparently, there's been tension between us for a while. I just didn't see it until it was too late," Matt replied, walking Noemi straight to her door.

She turned to face him with a small frown on her face. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Matt smiled at her again and said, "Everything will be okay, Noemi. No need to worry about me."

They went quiet before Noemi said, "Well, thanks for walking with me, Matt. I hope everything works out for you."

"Thanks for joining us, and I'm really sorry you had to witness that," Matt replied.

Noemi gave him another smile and said, "It's all right. Shit happens. Good night, Matt. If you need me or anything, just let me know."

As she headed back into her apartment, Matt walked into his. It was quiet and empty. T.K. must've taken Patamon and Gabumon to wherever the rogue Digimon was. Honestly, Matt didn't care. He just wanted peace and quiet to think things over.

He shut his bedroom door and laid down onto the bed, sighing. How could have he let her get away? There was no way he should have let this happen, but it did. Could he have been just as equally tired of her as she was of him? Sure, he was upset, but for some odd reason, he felt relieved.

But he also felt angry.

He had some idea what was going on, but he still couldn't control it. And why was Tai all the sudden worried for Sora? Wasn't there the bro code? And how could Tai just leave Noemi like that? He thought for sure Tai liked the new girl, but now…

A cold breeze blew in from his window and Matt sat up. _'T.K. left the window open again, that idiot_,' Matt thought to himself.

As he got to his feet to close it, he could hear a guitar playing from outside. Curiously, he walked over to the window and leaned out, trying to find the source. It sounded like it was coming from next door. He listened again, and sure enough, it was Noemi.

He looked at her and saw she was holding a guitar while sitting on a lawn chair. She had changed into an overly large black sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. Her hair was still curly and she had her eyes closed as she strummed. Then, she opened her mouth and sang.

"_I've done my best to find_  
_A little piece of mind_  
_Between these bedroom fights_  
_And days that we were fine._

_Tell me what,_  
_You were thinking,_  
_When you said,_  
_You're better off without me,_  
_Well, I'm just a girl with a whole lot of heart,_  
_And I know the world turns when it all falls apart…_"

Matt gasped a little. This girl could sing!

As she continued, Matt settled onto his bed and listened to her voice with his eyes closed. Her voice was strong and even after her having a rotten time, she still managed to keep her chin up. Suddenly, Matt gained an idea.

As he reached for his cell phone, he smiled to himself. He was hoping this idea worked.

After he sent the text, he checked his messages. Matt still haven't heard from Sora. She truly did make him happy, and he couldn't believe everything they worked towards was gone.

He put his cell phone on the desk and yawned. Matt put his hands over his head and closed his eyes, listening to Noemi sing. He would just have to see. Maybe Sora would come around. Maybe…

Matt drifted off to sleep, with the thunder rumbling in the distance mixed with Noemi's song.

**[Author's note] The song Noemi is singing is "Carry Me Home" by We Are The In Crowd (: Amazing band and song and I thought it fit in with what happened! **


	5. Chapter 5

**[Author's note: Happy New Year, everyone! (: Hope you all have a good one!]**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon in any form or way, just my own characters.**

Chapter 5

It was already night time as Matt made his way home from band practice. The streetlights were on, casting dim lights on the sidewalk as the blonde boy slowly made his way back to his apartment complex, his guitar case strapped to his back. The streets were almost empty, save for the occasional group of teenagers heading out for Friday night fun.

It has been almost two weeks since Matt and Sora broke up, and Matt could still feel the after effects. He hasn't heard from her at all, and the only news he has gotten was from Tai. He told Matt she pretty much needed some time to herself, but she was still very angry. However, Tai did say that as soon as she calms down, he would talk her into talking to Matt again. That made Matt feel somewhat better, but not a lot.

Everything seemed to have fallen downhill for him. After the breakup, Matt began to experience problems writing music and performing. His band, the Teenage Wolves, had a major concert coming up next week, and they still couldn't get the easiest notes right. It was stressing each of the members out, and Matt was trying to find a way to make everything better.

On the plus side, though, there hasn't been a Digimon attack on the city since the night of the disastrous date. That night, there had been a group of Kokuwamon that let loose an electrical current streaming through downtown. T.K. and Davis arrived immediately to stop the electric beetles and drive them in the portal, but they ran into a small problem. A group had tried to escape, but they were stopped by the dark shadow Digimon.

"Dude, that Digimon was scary! As the Kokuwamon tried to escape us, this shadow just appeared and sliced them up! I've never seen anything like it before!" Davis had exclaimed when retelling the story to Matt the next day.

Matt had frowned. "What did the Kokuwamon that didn't escape say about it?" He asked.

Davis replied, "They called it the Big Bad Wolf. I guess that Digimon has a bad reputation."

Matt stopped at the crosswalk and waited for his signal to go. It relieved him that he just wasn't imagining the Digimon either, even if it was just Davis and T.K. who saw it.

As Matt crossed the street, he kicked a can that was in front of him. This Digimon was getting on his last nerves. It seemed like it was impossible to see or catch, and it was getting frustrating. For a moment, he almost knew how Sora felt.

A low growl came from behind him, and Matt froze. The air had gotten colder, but Matt had thought it was because of the storms that were predicted to come. As he turned around, he gave a loud cry. Standing behind him was a half formed Digimon. It's fur was on fire, and it had sharp fangs and claws. It was a Lynxmon.

As the air grew colder, Matt backed away as quick as he could. Lynxmon hadn't fully formed, but it was still dangerous. The Digimon lifted it's head and sniffed around, exploring it's surroundings.

Matt quickly moved out of the way and picked up his cell phone. He had to call Tai.

The phone rang twice before Tai answered, "Hello?"

"Tai, it's me. I need your help man," Matt said in a hurried voice, trying to keep an eye on the materializing Digimon. "I've got a Digimon trying to enter! I'm maybe 5 blocks from home near the market. Hurry!"

Tai replied, "Right, on my way with Kari!"

As Matt hung up, the Digimon had fully formed. It let out a roar and began to charge at oncoming cars. People screamed and tried to run, but that just made Lynxmon even angrier.

As the cat-like Digimon roared, it turned and faced towards Matt. As they made eye contact, Matt tried to not make any sudden movements. The Digimon let out a low growl and took a step towards Matt. He glanced around him to see if he had something to defend himself, but he had nothing but his guitar case. As he looked back up, the Lynxmon pounced forward. Matt fell back, shutting his eyes tight.

Suddenly, there was a howling, followed by a large crash and a yelp, and Matt's eyes flew open, thinking, 'Garurumon!'

Except it wasn't Garurumon. Standing in between him and the Lynxmon was a wolf Digimon. It had dark gray fur and white stripes running down its side. A metal helmet rested on it's head, and it's claws were sharp and deadly looking. It was a small wolf, but it looked dangerous. It turned its head and looked at Matt with icy blue eyes.

It bared its teeth at the boy before turning back to Lynxmon. The fire cat had regained its footing and snarled back the wolf.

As Matt scrambled to the side, Lynxmon opened its mouth. "Howling Buster!" It shouted as flames shot at the wolf.

The wolf shot to the side with amazing speed at jumped at Lynxmon, claws extended, but the cat was too fast. It turned and swiped down the wolf. It let out a whine of pain and Lynxmon stepped on it, crushing the wolf.

As the wolf let out a cry, Matt yelled, "Get off of it!"

Lynxmon turned towards him and roared, shooting fire in his direction.

Matt dodged the attack and landed on his side. Pain shot up through his right side and he grimaced as he regained his footing.

The wolf Digimon had escaped and was now biting onto Lynxmon's neck, trying it's best to stay on. Lynxmon roared in pain as it swung it's head from side to side, shaking it's enemy off.

The wolf flew off and landed on all fours in front of the enemy. It opened it's mouth and let out a howl as a white blue light shot out, hitting it's enemy dead on. Lynxmon yelped and stepped backwards. Suddenly, there was a loud roar, and a big explosion.

As Matt covered his face, he felt the ground rumble and he looked up. MetalGreymon had finally joined the fight.

"Matt! Hey, Matt!" Tai called from behind him as MetalGreymon landed on the ground and began to take on the two Digimon.

Immediately, Tai and Kari were at Matt's side. Kari had a laptop in her hands, and she was working on opening a portal. Gatomon was at her feet, eager to join the fight.

"About time! I thought I was a goner!" Matt said as they watched MetalGreymon grapple with Lynxmon. The cat proved to be strong, but MetalGreymon had the upper hand.

"At least we made it! Who's the other Digimon?" Tai asked, looking at the fight.

Matt stared at the wolf as it dodged a fire blast attack from Lynxmon. "I'm pretty sure that's the Big Bad Wolf Digimon we've been hearing about."

Kari frowned and said, "It doesn't matter. We have to send them back to the Digital World before it's too late!"

"Then hurry and open the gate!" Tai said. "Finish them, MetalGreymon!"

MetalGreymon was knocked backwards and he let out a groan. As he stood straight up, he fired his attack. "Giga Blaster!" The metal dinosaur yelled.

Lynxmon roared and yelled, "Howling Buster!" and the wolf Digimon released another blue/white light attack.

The three attacks met in midair and there was a huge explosion. As Matt tried to cover his eyes, he felt himself fly backwards off his feet and he hit the sidewalk hard. Debris was flying around everywhere and as he tried to stand up, something heavy hit him in the side of the head.

Everything became blurry and the last thing he saw was MetalGreymon degenerate into Koromon and collapse, Lynxmon disappear into dust, and the wolf Digimon standing on all fours. A human emerged from the adjacent alley, looking over the wreckage. As the figure stood next to the Digimon, Matt felt himself sink into darkness, and he remembered no more.

**~oOo~**

"Matt! Matt, oh god! Are you okay? Wake up!" A voice cried out to him in the darkness.

Matt stirred a little and let out a little groan, his eyes still closed. He could feel pain all over his body and a throbbing in his head.

He tried to recall what happened. There was a fight between three powerful Digimon, and he, Tai, and Kari just happened to find themselves in the middle of it.

Tai! Kari! Were they all right? Did they make it through?

As Matt's eyes flew opened, he found himself staring into familiar brown eyes, as well as two cold, gray eyes. Noemi smiled and exclaimed, "Thank God you're all right!" She gave him a huge hug and Matt responded with, "Uhhhh…?

Noemi released him and asked, "Are you okay? What happened out here?"

As Matt sat up, he took a look around. Behind where Noemi and her dog Rex were standing was complete destruction. The street had been blown to smithereens by the collision of all three attacks. He looked around again, and found Tai and Kari with their partners in their arms.

"Matt!" Tai cried as he rushed towards his friend. "We have to get out of here before the cops get here. Come on! My place isn't far."

As Noemi offered him a hand, she asked, "Can you walk?"

Matt nodded his head and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing out here?"

As they rushed down the street, Noemi replied, "I was taking Rex out for a walk when we heard the explosion. We rushed over to this street and found it almost destroyed! Tai and Kari were awake and moving, but you were still. We thought you were…" Her voice drifted away and Matt could feel his stomach churning.

"Did you see anyone else? Like, a person standing near a gray dog-like thing?" He asked as the entered Tai's apartment complex.

Noemi shook her head. "No, I didn't see anything."

"I did. I saw someone, but they disappeared fast before I could get a good view," Kari added in as they walked into the apartment.

Noemi stopped at the door and turned towards Rex. Her black dog was on his leash, and he looked at her sad eyes, saying, 'I can't come in?'

She smiled and patted her dog on the head, saying, "You wait here, boy. I promise this won't be long."

As Rex curled into a ball outside the door, Tai shut it behind Noemi, and they walked towards Tai's and Kari's room. The Kamiya's had gone out for the night, and that left Tai and Kari alone. Matt settled himself on Tai's bed and groaned loudly as he tried to stretch.

"That was a close one!" He said as he tried to get comfortable without being in pain.

As Noemi stood next to Kari, she asked, "So what happened? How'd the street get that bad?"

Matt felt a pang of sadness. They would have to lie to Noemi. It didn't feel right about lying to her after she had helped them off the street, but they couldn't share their biggest secret with her.

Tai was the first to speak. "We don't know. Kari and I were meeting Matt after his band practice to get a bite to eat, and monsters just started to appear!"

Matt rolled his eyes. _'Smooth move, man.'_

As Noemi's face went pale, Kari turned towards her and asked, "Haven't you heard about the recent attacks?"

Noemi nodded her head and replied, "Of course! Who hasn't? I just didn't think they could be so close by."

Matt grinned at her from the bed and said, "Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Odaiba!"

Noemi smiled lightly and said, "Thanks."

Kari set Gatomon on her bed and faced Noemi. "Don't worry, Noemi. I bet this will all end soon."

She turned towards Matt and said, "Geeze, Matt. I'm going to get you a bandage real quick. That cut on your head looks painful."

"Cut?" Matt said with a confused look. "What cut?"

Noemi handed him a small mirror that was on the desk and as he took it and looked, he gasped. On his temple, he had a thin small line, blood slowly dripping down. He hadn't noticed it before.

Kari looked at Noemi and asked, "Noemi, could you come with me to the medicine cabinet, please?"

As the girls left the room, Kari shutting the door behind them, Koromon sighed from Tai's bed and said, "That was a close one!"

"Shush, Koromon! They'll be back any minute!" Tai said as he sat down in his desk chair, hiding his face in his hands.

Matt gave his best friend a puzzled look and asked, "Tai, what's up?"

Tai sighed and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just frustrated about this whole thing." As Tai leaned back in his chair, he asked, "What the hell were you thinking trying to take Lynxmon on?"

"It wasn't like I had a choice," Matt said with a frown. "It materialized right behind me and the street was pretty crowded. I was just trying to get everyone out of the way."

His best friend nodded his head, and replied, "Well, you have more guts than any other guy, I'll give you that. How's the band coming along?"

Matt let out a groan and said, "Terrible. Our next show is going to be a dud. We can't get anything right and we couldn't even right a new song."

Before Tai could answer, the girls came back in, laughing as Kari made her way over to Matt. She applied a wet cleansing pad to his cut and he let out a yelp of pain.

As she stuck a Band-Aid on, she smiled and said, "All better!"

Tai smirked and said, "Too bad it's a blemish on your already pretty face, man."

"At least I have a pretty face. Yours is pretty messed up," Matt snapped back as he got to his feet.

His side was still bothering him, but he would have to wait to check it out. Matt was pretty sure it was just bruised from landing on it so hard. Just overall, he felt beat.

As Matt reached for his guitar case, he glanced up at Noemi. "You want me to walk you home?" He asked.

Noemi shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sure!" She turned towards to Kari and Tai. "It was nice to meet you, Kari! See you, Tai!"

Kari waved and said, "Nice to meet you, too! You guys be safe!", but Tai just raised his hand and mumbled, "See ya."

Matt noticed Noemi's face fell a little, but she turned away fast. _'Huh?' _ He thought as he looked back and waved to Tai and Kari as they left the room.

As they walked out of the apartment complex and down the street with Rex and his leash in Noemi's hand, Matt saw she looked a little sad. Or was she troubled? It wasn't sitting right with Matt if something was wrong with her.

"Hey, Noemi, are you okay?" He asked as they crossed the plaza that connected Matt's and Tai's complex.

Rex tugged on the leash towards a patch of grassed and Noemi followed her dog over as he sniffed around. She smiled at Matt sadly and responded, "Yeah, I guess I'm all right. Thanks for asking."

Matt smiled back and said, "No problem. If you need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen."

"And likewise," She responded as she unclipped Rex's leash to let him wander. The black dog poked around the bushes, his nose constantly to the ground. Noemi settled down on a bench and said, "I guess I'm just tried from today. We did so much at the house today. My grandmother is coming to visit and we had to clean all day."

He sat down next to her, setting his guitar case on the ground and said, "Sounds like a busy day."

When Noemi didn't respond, Matt leaned back and looked over at her. She kept her eyes fixed at the ground, and he was wondering what was going through her mind. He had an idea she had a sort of crush on Tai, and he knew Tai liked her a lot. But lately, Tai's been distant and he guesses Noemi's felt that, too.

Matt wasn't dumb. He knew Tai was fighting a battle right now, and not just a Digimon one. Ever since they were kids, Matt knew his best friend had a crush on Sora, and when Matt and Sora started dating, Tai got hurt. He got over it bit by bit every day, but now that Sora is single again, Matt had a feeling Tai was going to go for her.

Usually, Matt would start raging at the fact that someone other than him was going after Sora. It would fill him up with so much anger, but now, he just couldn't care. She hurt him bad, and maybe he deserved better, at least until everything cooled down. Matt wanted another chance with her, but he wasn't going to make the mistake like Tai did and wait forever to get an opportunity to share his feelings. He wanted something real. In his head, he slowly began an idea for a song.

Rex trotted back over to Noemi and rested his head in her lap, his gray eyes looking at her. As she patted his head, he licked her hand and walked over to Matt, doing the same thing. Matt stared at the dog and smiled, petting his head and scratching behind his ears. The big dog let out a yap and tried to crawl into Matt's lap.

Noemi laughed and said, "Rex, get down, boy!"

As the big dog jumped down, Noemi said, "I'm sorry! Usually he doesn't do that!"

Matt laughed, too, and said, "It's all right!"

Noemi smiled at her dog and looked at Matt. "Sorry about acting all emo-like. It was just a rough day."

"Don't worry about it!" Matt said, beaming at her. The song in his head grew and words and more ideas began to form all together. As the puzzle pieces formed, Matt felt something click. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, and he knew now was the time to ask.

"Hey, I had a quick question for you," he said as he reached down, pulling his guitar out of its case.

She looked at him with a smile on her face and an eyebrow rose, asking, "And what's that?"

Matt grinned and began to tune his guitar, saying, "Just a simple request. I was wondering if you had any plans next Friday."

Noemi shook her head and said, "Nope. Why?"

"Next Friday, my band has a gig downtown and I was wondering if you wanted to come," He replied, beginning to pick at the strings for this new song. "And not just be there, but how about you be the guest of honor and sing a duet with me onstage?"

Noemi's eyes lit up and exclaimed, "A duet?! That'd be awesome! What song?"

Matt replied, "That's awesome! It's still in the writing stage."

"That would be great! But how do you know I can sing?" She asked, giving him a sly look.

"I heard you singing a couple nights ago. You're pretty good," Matt responded as he finally got the tune picked out and he placed his guitar down.

She smiled at him and said, "Thanks!"

As Noemi stood up, she whistled Rex over and she clipped his leash back on. "I should head back inside. Thanks for the offer! Let me know when you want to practice."

Matt grinned as he stood up, too, and replied, "We practice every day until Friday at 6 in our downtown practice studio. I'll pick you up tomorrow around 5:30?"

She smiled and said, "Sounds good! Well, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow at 5:30."

"Yeah, see you then! Bye, Noemi!" He said as he watched her turn and go back inside.

Once she and Rex were safely inside, Matt reached into his guitar case and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and began to jot lines down. This song was going to be great, now that he had an idea again. Maybe this concert won't turn out so bad after all.


End file.
